


A Festival of Brightness

by Florexandra, onlinemuse



Category: Prodigal Son (TV 2019)
Genre: F/M, Family, Family Bonding, Family Fluff, Family Secrets, Malcolm Bright Needs a Hug, Malcolm meeting Dani's family, Meeting the Parents, and he gets a hug
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-16
Updated: 2020-07-28
Packaged: 2021-02-28 21:55:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 10,531
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23164339
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Florexandra/pseuds/Florexandra, https://archiveofourown.org/users/onlinemuse/pseuds/onlinemuse
Summary: Life for Malcolm is already complicated enough as it is without his mother insisting that he bring a date to her New Year's Eve gala. It's a welcome distraction when Dani invites him over for the first night of Hanukkah, but the night just leads to even more questions about Dani herself.
Relationships: Brightwell - Relationship, Malcolm Bright & Ainsley Whitly, Malcolm Bright & Dani Powell, Malcolm Bright & Jessica Whitly, Malcolm Bright/Dani Powell
Comments: 13
Kudos: 88





	1. Chapter 1

**Finally getting to one of the fic requests I was sent. Thank you to @jimhalpertcanbuymelove for sending this request in and letting me turn it into a Brightwell fic.**

**And an extra special thank you to** **@s4karuna** **for co-writing this with me, it was so much fun and we hope you enjoy what we wrote!**

**Chapter 1**

Friday night dinners. 

Ever since Malcolm returned to New York, every Friday night was dedicated to dinner with Ainsley and his mother. Jessica had insisted on it. 

_I gave birth to you both_ , she had said airily, though it was easy for Malcolm to hear the steel of a Milton matriarch in her voice. His FBI training was still no match for someone who could engage in psychological warfare with high society, metaphorically ripping off pearl necklaces with elegant words while on her third glass of gin. 

_Twenty hours of labour for Malcolm’s big head alone. Don’t I at least deserve a little of your time?_

Malcolm and Ainsley weren’t exactly fans of their mandatory dinners, but neither of them could deny their mother this one thing. Besides, it wasn’t like either of them had anything better to do on a Friday night. Ainsley would either binge watch The Great British Bake Off and bemoan her nonexistent culinary skills or stay up all night editing news footage with unfashionable raccoon eyes. And Malcolm?

Frankly, it was best left unanswered. 

But what started out as little more than an obligation to their mother gradually became tolerable, even enjoyable on occasion. Malcolm suspected that shared trauma might have played a hand in it, but he wasn’t going to go there. Possibly ever. 

At the moment, Jessica was still chatting about the menu she had planned for their annual family Christmas dinner, waving around a forkful of seared scallops as the siblings covertly exchanged amused looks. Neither of them were paying much attention, used to their mother’s little complaints and anecdotes.

“And I would love to set up more than our usual three place setting for our little family dinners.” Jessica suddenly added, her manner nonchalant. “Maybe even set up a high chair or two by this time next year.”

Malcolm choked on his vichyssoise when he noticed his mother’s pointed look. That glint in her eyes was something he was far too familiar with. Jessica Whitly was out to get something by hook or by crook.

“W-what?” He sputtered, looking like a deer caught in the headlights. “Please tell me you don’t mean—”

“I’m just saying, I would like to hear the pitter-patter of little feet running around again.”

“ _Mother!_ ” Malcolm shot a glare at Ainsley, who wasn’t even trying to hold back her laughter. “At least wait until I’m not at risk of choking on cold soup.”

“Well, I’m not getting any younger, Malcolm.” Jessica made a half wistful face. “I was honestly expecting to have grandchildren by now.”

“Mother,” Malcolm grimaced painfully, his voice still strained and sounding a little too much like a whiny five year old, “Aren’t I a little young to be thinking about that? I have all the time in the world to start a family if I wanted to.”

Jessica raised an elegant eyebrow, and Malcolm instantly knew it was futile. Once Jessica Whitly got going, there was hardly anything that could stop her from steamrolling everything in her path. It was better to wait her out. 

“Well, it’s either you or Ainsley and your sister is much too wrapped up in her career for that.” 

Ainsley preened smugly, sticking her tongue out at Malcolm the second Jessica looked away. Malcolm just raised an eyebrow at both of them with an exasperated huff, looking a little worn out. Jessica visibly softened, placing a loving hand on her son’s. 

“Listen, I know your prospects at love have been…" She twisted her mouth as she searched for the right word, " _Unlucky_ in the past. But as your mother, I just want to see you happy. I know many potential ladies who I’m sure would love to be acquainted with you.”

Malcolm gave a wry grin, shaking his head as he took his hand back. “No offense, but after the last time you tried to set me up, I’m better off trying to find a date on my own.”

He missed the flash of satisfaction on Jessica’s face. 

“So do that.”

Malcolm did a double take, glass blue eyes wide. 

“I’m sorry, what?”

“Find a date.” Jessica repeated as she took a quick bite of scallop, her lipstick still pristine. “You already know I’m planning a gala for New Year’s Eve and not only would I like you to attend this year, but I want you to bring a plus one.”

“But Mother—”

“No buts, young man.” 

Her voice brokered no room for discussion. Neither Malcolm or Ainsley could win against her when she took that tone. 

“If you want to prove to me that you can find a date on your own, then go find one. Just so long as she’s a respectable woman,” she added in afterthought. 

Malcolm sighed heavily. He could already feel a migraine building up. 

“Ains, can you just—”

“Sorry, Malcolm.” 

Ainsley was enjoying this a little too much as she looked back and forth between her mother and brother as if she was watching a tennis match, grinning like a Cheshire cat. All that was missing from this image was an extra large bowl of her favourite truffle popcorn. 

“But it’s Mom’s party,” she said in mock disappointment. “If she says you should find a date for New Year’s, find a date for New Year’s.”

“Real helpful.”

Malcolm narrowed his eyes at his sister, unamused at how entertained she was. She’d probably be filming the whole thing if she could, but at least he didn’t see her phone anywhere near her. 

He really didn’t need a repeat of Ainsley showing the video of him trying to serenade Sunshine while high on painkillers to Dani. Or anyone else on the team for that matter.

* * *

Malcolm grew listless as he sat on the edge of the table, untouched Earl Grey tea in hand as he kept dunking the teabag in over and over again. He should’ve been in front of the board completing his profile of the killer, but good old executive dysfunction was hitting him hard this time. He kept trying to focus on the case at hand, but he couldn’t stop thinking about how he was going to find a date for New Year’s Eve. 

“Bright?” 

Malcolm snapped his head up, suddenly dropping the tea bag string he had been playing with. Dani was cradling her own mug of Earl Grey, looking at him with bemusement as she sat down next to him. 

“You okay? You’ve been pretty quiet. It’s a bit concerning considering it’s you.”

Not for the first time, Malcolm thought that Dani had great potential to be a profiler herself. It was remarkable how observant she was.

“It’s just…" he trailed off with a wry grin, "Sad little rich boy problems, mostly. It’s nothing.”

Dani wrinkled her nose in thought. 

“So you’re having mommy issues?”

Malcolm nearly dropped his mug at her blunt words, but when he saw a beaming grin spread across her face with a rare spark of mischief in her eyes, he couldn’t help but let out a huff of laughter in response.

“Yeah, I guess you could say that. My mother is just…” He ran a hand down his face with a groan, “meddling in my life yet again. It can be a little grating, quite frankly.”

Dani bit her lip as her thoughts turned to her parents. “I can understand that.”

Malcolm looked at her in surprise. “You can?”

For Dani to talk about herself was rare enough as it is. He unconsciously inched to the edge of his seat in anticipation as she nodded after a sip of tea.

“Yeah, parents can be overbearing at times. And this is coming from someone who grew up with two sets of Jewish parents from different continents.”

Malcolm couldn't help but chuckle as he tried to imagine what kind of people raised someone as perceptive and tenacious as Dani.

"At least in my case, I know that it’s because they have my best interests at heart.” Her face softened with nostalgia as she shot Malcolm a smile. “I’ve only met your mother a few times, but from what I've seen, she meddles because it's her way of making sure you're okay.” 

Malcolm raised an eyebrow at her as he finally drank his lukewarm tea. She held up a hand in defense, a corner of her mouth curled up into an almost smile. 

“Well, I never said the caring cancels out the meddling. I've never seen a WASP outrival a Jewish mother like her.”

Malcolm couldn't hold back a guffaw. 

“I'm sure Mother would be flattered,” he chuckled with a shake of his head, “But I still have to figure out how I’m gonna get through Christmas dinner this time.”

Dani glanced at him as she bit her lip in thought. 

“Well, this probably won’t prevent you from having to go to your dinner...” 

Malcolm leaned forward in curiosity as he waited for Dani to continue. 

"My mom’s having a party for the first night of Hanukkah tomorrow. Do you wanna come with me?”

* * *

The first word that came to mind when Malcolm thought of Dani was unflappable. She was like a pancake stuck to the griddle, nothing could shake her. And yet he could easily spot the signs. The distracting way she kept biting her lip. How she constantly fiddled with the little blue Star of David necklace nestled in the hollow of her throat. She was…

Anxious? 

_What could be making her act like that?_ Malcolm’s mind practically raced at the numerous possibilities.

“Hey Bright?" Dani turned to him as they hiked up to her mother's snow covered driveway, her cold hands shoved deep in the pockets of her indigo winter coat. "Listen, there’s something you should probably know before we go inside.”

He gazed at her thoughtfully after noticing the apprehensive look on her face, his curiosity rearing its head as he saw her bite her lip again.

“What is it?”

Dani hummed briefly, not sure how to explain. She hadn't exactly been forthcoming about her life outside of work for two very big reasons. 

“I have kind of a big family so there's going to be a lot of people and a lot more noise. I love them, but...” 

She trailed off with a chuckle as he watched her breath rise in the cold in gentle puffs, snow dotting her hair like stars. 

“They’re a lot. My mom and my sisters, they're nosy and have no sense of personal space and they're going to ask a lot of uncomfortable questions. So it's okay if you need to tap out for a minute or—” 

“Dani,” Malcolm interjected in amusement, “you're starting to sound like me with all that rambling.” 

He couldn't hold back a smile. It was rare for her to get even remotely flustered. It was adorable, the way her cheeks grew dark with embarrassment and how her doe like eyes kept glancing at him to see if he was alright. 

“Don’t worry so much. If they're anything like you, I'm sure they're amazing.”

Dani sighed with relief, her face relaxing back into a smile again. She knew he was right. He was finally going to meet her obnoxiously affectionate and offbeat family, only… 

He was still missing one crucial piece of information. 

"Bright…" she started, apprehension mounting higher as they approached the front porch bedecked with blue and white lights. "There's also one more thing that I haven't actually told you. And it's kind of a big thing."

She had been braced for him to turn that profiler gaze on her, for those pale, glassy eyes to stare deeper into her for what she kept locked away. But Malcolm didn’t go off in another speculative ramble or even start pointing out her odd behaviour. He simply tilted his head to the side and with those wide eyes, Dani was oddly reminded of a confused puppy. 

"What is it?"

"You're not gonna try to profile me?" Dani raised an eyebrow in disbelief, not noticing the tension leaving her shoulders. 

He shrugged a shoulder, his eyes slightly mournful at how guarded she had seemed just now. The details might have been a little fuzzy, but he could still remember Dani, tired and vulnerable as she opened up about her trust issues the night she babysat his high-as-a-kite self. 

She didn’t need him prying into what made Dani Powell tick. Not when she wasn’t ready. 

“I get the feeling that this is something really personal.”

 _So, he was capable of turning it off._ She let out a grateful smile in return. 

“Well—”

 _“Danys Eliana Powell!”_ A voice called in amusement from the front porch, startling them from their peaceful little bubble. "Are you ever going to come inside?”

“Danys?” Malcolm nearly bubbled over giggling, looking at Dani with glee. 

“Yes, Dani is short for Danys. Grow up, Bright.”

Malcolm shook his head, his nose scrunched up and the crinkles at the corners of his eyes became more prominent. 

“It’s just not what I thought Dani would be short for. I was kind of expecting Danika or Danielle.”

“Thank my grandmother for that. She and my dad came here from Port au Prince back in the seventies. Dad changed the family name from Poirot and I can hear you smirking, Bright, _cut it out!_ ” 

Malcolm danced out of the way, nearly doubled over with laughter before Dani could smack him so she settled for shooting him an unimpressed look. 

“I’m sorry! At least now I know that detective work is in your blood. Do you have family from Liège Province or a fastidious great-great-uncle, perhaps?” 

“Real mature, Bright.” 

She rolled her eyes, but the way Malcolm beamed at her like sunshine during a snowstorm made him look a little younger, a little lighter hearted and Dani for all her bluster couldn’t stay mad at him. 

“At least Granmè insisted on giving us traditional names— _oof!_ _Imma_ , I need to breathe here.” 

Dani was immediately enveloped in a rib aching bear hug the second they walked up to the front door by a statuesque woman with a regal nose and wide-set blue-green eyes and Malcolm could easily spot echoes of Dani’s dark, springy curls and delicate jawline. The older woman’s eyes lit up as she spotted Malcolm after finally releasing Dani from the loving embrace. 

“You must be Dani’s friend! I’m Zipporah.”

“Bright.” Dani smiled as she gestured for him to come closer. “This is my mother.”

“Malcolm Bright. It’s lovely to meet you,” he offered a polite smile as he held out his hand. His tremor wasn’t acting up for once and he’d never been so glad that his mother signed him up for etiquette classes as a child. “Thanks for inviting me to your home.”

“Oh, none of that,” Zipporah waved him off, still beaming with excitement. 

Malcolm’s eyes went wide as she swiftly pulled him into a warm, spine-cracking firm hug. He looked over Zipporah’s shoulder at Dani in bewilderment, getting the inkling feeling that he now had an idea about where Dani got her strength from. 

“ _Imma_ , you promised you wouldn’t scare him,” Dani’s tone was scolding, but he could see her biting back her laughter. “Bright looks like he’s about to faint.”

The ridiculous situation startled a laugh out of him as he finally returned Zipporah’s hug. He couldn’t remember the last time someone other than Gil or his mother hugged him and it made him feel warm. 

“Come in, come in. We’re just getting started.”

Zipporah released him from the mini bear hug and she pulled them inside the house, fussing over his wind bitten cheeks and Dani’s snow covered curls. 

“Did I hear my _bijou_ come home?”

A much older woman with a beaming face walked over to them with a baby in her arms. She was short and full figured with glowing dark skin and iron grey hair woven into tiny twisting braids and her eyes were just like Dani’s, deep brown and steady, framed with thick lashes. The baby she was holding wore white footie pajamas patterned with blue Star of Davids with a blue-green headband over her coily little pixie cut that matched her bright eyes. She gave a toothless smile upon seeing them, revealing the same deep dimples as Dani.

“Baby bird is definitely happy you’re here.”

“Hi Granmè,” Dani smiled as she kissed the older woman’s cheek. “Bright, this is my grandmother, Eliana.”

Malcolm held out his hand again, surprised at how much the cheerful atmosphere was like a soothing balm to his fraying nerves. It was obvious that Dani grew up in a very loving home. 

“It’s an honour to meet you. I’m Malcolm Bright.“

The little girl stretched her arms out to Dani with a slight squeal. Dani’s smile only grew as she took the child from her grandmother and the baby was quick to snuggle in, babbling happily with her chubby cheek squished against Dani’s.

“So you’re the Malcolm Bright we’ve been hearing about.” The older woman gave Malcolm an approving once over as she shook his hand, “You’re a little different than what Dani told us about you.”

Malcolm gave Dani a look full of mischief, ignoring the odd little flutter in his stomach. He wasn’t quite ready to touch on that yet.

“You’ve told them about me?”

“Well, of course.” Dani shot back her own teasing grin. “It’s not every day a box of drugs explodes in someone’s face.”

Her grandmother practically cackled as Malcolm’s ears turned bright pink and he ducked his head sheepishly. A sweet hiccupy giggle snapped him out of his embarrassment and he turned his attention to the baby in Dani’s arms. 

“So who’s this?”

“Oh, Dani didn’t tell you—?”

“Uh, Granmè,” Dani cleared her throat pointedly, “how about you get back to helping Mona and Naomie in the kitchen? I’ll show Bright to the living room before I see them.”

Eliana raised an eyebrow, but gave a knowing smirk. It was a little unnerving to see the exact same grin that Dani often shot Bright on her grandmother’s face. No wonder Gil had muttered _like grandmother, like granddaughter_ the day he met Eliana. 

“Well, alright then. Call me if you need anything.”

* * *

“I have so many questions,” Malcolm couldn’t help but blurt out as Dani led him into the living room.

“And I’m guessing they’re all for me?”

“Most of them.” 

It had been a little over six months since they started working together, but for all his years of profiling, he still had so much to learn about her. But here in her childhood home was a veritable treasure trove of precious memories in the living room alone. Pictures of her flanked by two older girls who shared Dani’s spiraling curls and golden skin, as a little girl stretching at the ballet barre in a blue star print leotard and white tights, a young dark skinned man who Malcolm assumed to be Dani’s father holding her as a baby and oh, that was unfair.

Jessica always claimed that Malcolm had been an ugly baby, saying that he looked like a bald cabbage with eyes and not in a good way. Dani had been the complete opposite with a headful of fluffy dark curls, wide doe eyes with soft cheeks and the cutest little nose. That had to be the calmest, most thoughtful expression he’d ever seen on someone that tiny and it made her look more like a doll than a baby.

“My first question,” He inhaled deeply and smiled, his skin becoming less deathly pale as the scent of simmering and frying food washed over him. “What’s that amazing smell?”

Eating had become little more than a chore for Malcolm after The Surgeon's arrest. His mother had tried to tempt him with their chef's home cooking and meals from high end restaurants, but most of it was little more than ash in his mouth. But the warm aroma of fragrant soybean oil and heady spices was starting to make his stomach grumble in anticipation. 

"Judging from the sound, pomegranate braised brisket, sweet noodle kugel, kalalou djon djon, poul fri, and I think...”

Dani tipped her head to the side to catch a whiff as she adjusted the little girl in her arms. “Granmè's latkes de plátano and her secret salsa de ajo. 

And that's not even half of it.” She chuckled as Malcolm’s eyes went as wide as granmè’s dinner plates. “Be prepared to have a seventy-five year old Haitian lady shove multiple helpings at you.”

“Sounds delicious.” His face was as open and sincere as when he said he could trust her in the middle of a drug induced haze. “I honestly can’t remember the last time I was looking forward to a meal.” 

He then noticed the baby in Dani’s arms peeking out at him, eyes wide with curiosity. She was still tiny, but he could see the beginnings of Dani’s long nose and rounded chin on her face. He inwardly marveled at the power of genetics, wondering which of Dani’s sisters the little girl belonged to. 

“I never did get her name.” 

He laughed as the baby let out a squeak before burying her face in Dani’s shoulder. He was oddly reminded of a baby chipmunk at her actions and it only made her even more endearing.

“It’s okay, he’s a friend,” she cooed, coaxing the little girl into lifting her head off her shoulder to get a proper look at the profiler. “This is Angeline. We named her after my great-grandmother, but we call her Annie.”

“Hello Annie.” He leaned down so he could look the baby in the eyes, the expression on his face so meltingly soft that Dani could’ve sworn he was made of marshmallow and spun sugar. “I’m Malcolm.” 

Annie giggled, revealing her dimples once again. He hadn’t really been around babies other than when Ainsley was little. Ainsley had been round and cute when she wasn’t demanding attention, but Annie was all round apple cheeks, chubby arms and wide smiling eyes. She looked at everything with intent curiosity and while he hadn’t heard her talk yet, it was obvious she was a very cheerful little girl. 

Annie was the cutest baby he had ever seen, he thought as he looked back up at Dani with a smile. His mother would definitely squish her cheeks if she got the chance to meet her. 

“She’s adorable.” 

“She is, isn’t she? She’s not a Powell for nothing.” 

Dani’s smile was warm and content as she dropped a kiss on top of Annie’s curly hair, but it quickly faded when she looked back at Malcolm. 

“So Bright,” she bit her lip in hesitation, “there’s something I still need to tell you.”

The second Malcolm heard this, he became laser focused. If Dani wasn’t backing down then he definitely wanted to know what she couldn’t say earlier. His spine straightened and that one little change was enough for him to look like a whole different person. 

“I’m all ears.”

“Well...” 

Dani trailed off as she held Annie closer, not noticing the baby trying to grab at her necklace. 

“There’s a big part of my life I don’t usually tell anyone, especially with my job and all. Other than Gil and the rest of the team, Tally’s the only other person who even knows about this. I figured now would be a good time to tell you, so to speak.”

“You can trust me,” Malcolm couldn’t help but murmur, pale moon-like eyes as bright as his name intently focused on her, as earnest and sincere as he sounded that night in the dim lighting of his kitchen. 

He wasn’t sure if he really deserved to know whatever it was Dani was about to tell him, but it didn’t stop the way his heart clenched at her unwavering gaze. 

“You see, Annie is—” she paused, her brow furrowed in thought, not sure how she should continue. “I’m—”

“You’re here, you’re here!” 

A little head popped up from behind the sofa, revealing a tiny girl with wavy dark hair in a high ponytail. She was wearing a blue menorah sweater, yellow skirt and white tights and Malcolm thought that she wouldn’t look out of place frolicking around in a tutu. He nearly had a heart attack when the toddler leaped onto the sofa, bolting across it towards Dani. 

It wasn’t until he had his arms full of lightning fast, beaming kid that he realized that he had already lunged forward, barely managing to catch the little girl before she fell flat on her face. 

She giggled in Malcolm’s ear and he caught the comforting smell of coconut oil and powdered sugar as she clumsily wrapped her tiny arms around his neck, seemingly unphased by her almost accident. He finally managed to get a better look at the little girl after balancing her on his hip and he froze in shock.

“Katerina Dawn Powell, we do not go up on high places.” Dani’s tone was stern, but loving. “And don’t flash those baby browns at me, Kit...”

Because he had seen them before, the little girl’s big brown eyes, the ones that lit up her entire face and turned into charming little crescent moons as she crinkled her nose and smiled. Malcolm’s mind raced as he was bombarded with other details. The golden skin and delicate little face? The long nose, the bow-shaped mouth? 

Except for the hair, she was practically a carbon copy of Dani. 

“Hi Mommy!” 

How could he have missed this?


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

He could barely register his actions as he placed a gentle hand on the little girl’s back, afraid that he would drop her any second. Malcolm could only stare at Dani, guileless eyes wide with shock.

“ _Mommy?_ ” He parroted faintly. “You’re a—”

In hindsight it was rather obvious.

The way the little girl in his arms _(and it still stunned him how much she looked like young Dani in the living room photos)_ lit up when she saw Dani. The way the no-nonsense detective gently untangled a giggling Annie’s little hands from her hair with an adorable scrunch of her nose. The same brilliant, dimpled smile mirrored on all three of their faces. 

And he had never seen Dani so openly affectionate with anyone other than her family. She simply radiated so much warmth and love around those two little girls that it was almost blinding... 

It could’ve only been the look of a mother. 

“Yeah, these are my girls.” Dani nodded towards the little girl in Malcolm’s arms as she adjusted Annie’s headband. “Bright, meet Katerina.” 

She smiled in amusement as the little girl puffed out her cheeks and pouted, the side of her face squished against Malcolm’s. “But this one says she’s too short for that name so we call her Kit.”

Malcolm was practically tickled by the ever changing expressions on mother and daughter’s faces. He grinned down at Kit, feeling a wave of affection for Dani’s daughter. 

“Not Kat?” 

It would’ve suited her with how much she had bounded across the sofa like an energetic kitten. 

“No!” the little girl piped up with a scrunched nose, nearly swatting Malcolm in the face with her ponytail as she shook her head, “‘cause Mommy named me after the cat lady on that show she used to watch with Grandpè.”

Malcolm blinked at Dani, his cloudy, too-big eyes reminding her of a confused puppy before she mouthed, _Eartha Kitt._

“And this is her sister, Annie.” She hitched the baby higher on her hip as a gurgling Annie waved a chubby fist. “My youngest. Not many people know about the girls.”

“Why not?” he barely breathed, his voice barely audible.

It was a jarring sight, seeing him so silent and still. Malcolm Bright was manic perpetual energy, a streak of blue lightning caught in an unending loop. And yet he stood there with her oldest daughter cradled carefully in his arms as if she was one of Mrs. Whitly’s precious porcelain antiques, and stood frozen. It was like he was carved from marble before the first breath of life with those unblinking ghostly blue eyes that saw all. 

But while she never felt so exposed in the face of his all-too-knowing gaze, Dani wasn’t scared of those eyes. She met his gaze the way she did everything else, calm and taking things head on like the Powell women who came before her. 

“When you’re a cop, the less people know about you, the better.” 

She could see the moment where realization illuminated his face. Bright might not have been a father, but he still had the same instinctive urge to protect all that he cared about—the team, his mother and sister from the darkness that followed him out of his childhood. 

A slow smile spread across her face. 

“So only people I can absolutely trust will meet my girls.”

He looked as startled as he did the night he had shakily asked if they were friends. His lips parted and Dani could pinpoint the moment Malcolm had an _oh wow_ on the tip of his tongue, his face filled with raw hope and longing. It made her want to comb her fingers through his hair and tug at the scruff of his neck to show him that this wasn’t another hallucination. 

“Bright speechless for once,” she chuckled, lightly chucking him under the chin. She let out a peal of laughter as Kit tried to copy her, only to end up swatting his nose. “Never thought I’d see the day.”

A giggle escaped and before Malcolm knew it, he burst out into delighted laughter. He grinned so hard that he could feel his cheeks aching, but he felt as light as a feather in that moment there in Dani’s childhood home with her little girls. Dani nearly took a step back and shielded her eyes because damn, Bright was really living up to his name right now. 

“I’m honoured,” he finally said after the laughter subsided, his eyes crinkled at the corners and his dimples deep. He couldn’t remember the last time he felt so unrestrained, so untroubled. So… 

_Free of his demons._

Malcolm glanced at Kit and Annie again, still marvelling at how adorable they were. Though it was probably a given, considering who their mother was. He was pulled from his musing as he felt a tiny hand tug at his tie. 

“Hey Kit.” His eyes glowed with tenderness as the little girl blinked her big brown eyes at him curiously, “How can I help you?”

Kit poked at his tie, fascinated with the little gold stars etched in his tie clip. Mommy had told her about him before, but she still wanted to know more about the strange man with the sunshine name and blue moon eyes who looked like he would be right at home among the stars. 

“Did you dress all fancy for Hanukkah?” She locked her eyes onto him, as if she could pick up on his thoughts if she stared hard enough. “Or did you dress up for Mommy?”

Dani quickly cleared her throat, her briefly strained smile overshadowed as Malcolm spluttered and stammered in the face of Kit’s innocent question. 

“No, kiddo,” she interjected before he could stick his foot in his mouth again. “Bright just dresses like that all the time.”

“Really?” Kit gave a gasp in excitement as she craned her head to look at Dani, her arms wrapped around Malcolm’s neck. “You mean he’s fancy all the time?” 

Malcolm chuckled at the wide eyed wonder on the little girl’s face. He should’ve felt awkward, but something about the Powell women did wonders for calming his nerves. Or maybe it was just Dani and her daughters that had that effect on him. 

“Well, I wouldn’t say all the time. Fancy suits aren’t exactly part of the bedtime routine.”

“But pajamas can be fancy too,” Kit insisted, her ponytail bouncing with her enthusiasm. “I have pajamas with stars on them. They glow in the dark!” 

“Really?” 

Kit beamed at him and he was suddenly reminded of his own hyper fixations with space as a child, one of the brighter spots of his childhood. Maybe if he wasn’t The Surgeon’s son, if his ridiculously anxious and self-doubting psyche could ever reach some level of peace or closure…

Would his own child be as adorable and precocious as Dani’s little girl?

“Did you know that you can connect certain stars together to make pictures?”

“Yeah! Mommy said they’re constell—constellay...” Her face scrunched up adorably in confusion as she tried to remember how to say one of the bigger words from her _Everything Space_ picture book. “Uh, Mommy? What’s the rest?” 

“Constellations.” 

Dani swallowed back a laugh as she slipped into helpful mommy mode, but Malcolm could see her eyes sparkling with laughter and affection for the little girl.

“That’s the word!” Kit kicked her feet in excitement. “Constellations!” 

“You’re very smart, aren’t you?” Malcolm grinned back at her, her enthusiasm infectious. “I don’t think I could’ve remembered that when I was really little. How old are you?”

Kit unconsciously stuck her tongue out in thought before holding up three fingers. Malcolm's eyes went comically wide as he gave her a playful look. 

"You're that big already?”

Kit nodded cheerfully, her ponytail bouncing as she puffed up with delight at being recognized as a big girl by another grownup. 

“How old are you?”

“I’m ten times your age. I’m almost thirty.”

“Wow…” Kit’s eyes widened, “That's _old_.”

“Kit!”

Dani let out a laugh. She had meant to chide her daughter, but the bluntness of Kit's comment caught her off guard.

“But he is,” the little girl pouted as if she’d been wronged. “He’s old enough to be a daddy.”

Malcolm almost did choke that time, his ears burning hot. Yep, he definitely wasn’t letting his mother meet Kit. She would all but kidnap the little girl to be her granddaughter if the older woman heard what she said just now. 

And he was not ready to face Dani’s mama bear wrath when it happened. 

* * *

Kit had somehow managed to wrangle him into carrying her to the snack table where ‘Bubbe and Gran Gran made lots of yummy food’. For someone so tiny _(he guessed that she was barely tall enough for her eyes to peer over the edge of the table to view the many wonderful appetizers that Zipporah and Eliana had made)_ Kit had definitely inherited her mother’s indomitable presence. 

It made it impossible for him to say no to her. 

“Whoa…”

Malcolm’s eyes widened at the veritable smorgasbord. He wasn’t quite sure what to expect at a Hanukkah celebration, but this could rival any of his mother’s gala menus. So many dishes on mismatched blue and white crockery with gold veins that reminded him of Jackie’s kintsugi wedding china that he could barely see the tablecloth. 

“I know, right?” Dani deftly kept hold of Annie, who was trying to grab at the snacks in front of her with a whine. “And these are just the appetizers. _Imma_ and Granmè are amazing cooks.”

Kit tugged on his tie to get his attention, pointing to one of the smaller stuffed appetizers. He picked one up and handed it to her, amused at how she looked very much like a little squirrel gathering food for the winter. 

“What’s this?” Malcolm looked at the little bite that was almost the size of Kit’s palm in curiosity.

“It’s good!” Kit exclaimed.

“She’s not wrong,” Dani let out a laugh as Annie gave up grabbing for food in favour of trying to tangle her little hands in her mother’s hair again. 

“I’m pretty sure that that’s one of _imma_ ’s feta jalapeno poppers.”

Malcolm’s eyes briefly closed as he took in the spicy aroma wafting from the popper. Strange, the usual feeling of nausea whenever he caught the scent of food had all but dissipated. Maybe it was because of Zipporah’s use of fresh jalapenos and cilantro. 

Or maybe it was because it was in the hands of the little girl he was rapidly becoming a fan of. 

“Try it!” Kit nearly flung it in his face in her enthusiasm, wanting to share another of her favourite things with him. “It’s really yummy!”

Dani shot Malcolm an apologetic look. She said that she would try to make him comfortable and was afraid that he might force himself like he often did at Mrs Whitly’s gatherings. 

“Kit, honey, Bright doesn’t eat much.”

“Why?” Kit’s eyes were as round as saucers; as if she couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “You’re not hungry? Did you eat too much lunch?”

Malcolm let out a faint chuckle, not really sure how to go about explaining his eating habits to the little girl without alarming her even further, but he found Kit’s concern touching. It was obvious she was a very sweet kid. 

“Well, everyone else would say the opposite.”

“Oh...”

The way Kit practically wilted as she looked down at the appetizer in her hand was almost enough to make Malcolm’s heart break. He couldn’t make her upset, he just couldn’t. 

“You know what?” Kit lifted her head to look at him, “I guess I could try _one_.” 

He couldn’t help but smile at the way Kit’s face immediately lit up as she gave him the popper, listening intently as she repeatedly warned him to drink something if he found it too hot. 

“Gran Gran made iced hot chocolate so you can cool down with that. She said it was her gran gran’s recipe and she’s gonna teach it to me when I’m bigger.”

“Bright,” Dani started, “You don’t have to—”

“It’s okay,” he reassured her, practically beaming, “I’ve barely eaten today anyways. If I have to eat something, it might as well be something delicious, right?”

A tiny smile graced her face as Malcolm popped the appetizer into his mouth. She almost burst out laughing at the way his face turned red, making the pale blue of his too-big eyes stand out even more. Malcolm teared up, feeling like he could breathe fire right that second, but he couldn’t bring himself to spit it out. 

The way the brininess of the feta offset the cool spice of the jalapeno. He’d never tasted so much flavour in one tiny bite. It had been a while since he had any strong flavour that didn’t make him want to throw it back up. He swallowed it right down, savouring the salt and heat as it left his tongue tingling. 

It almost made him want another one before Kit’s giggle broke through his thoughts. 

“Your face is all pink!”

Malcolm laughed, feeling giddy even as his face was starting to ache. 

“Well, it was really spicy!”

Kit placed a tiny hand on his cheek and gasped, immediately seeking out Dani. 

“Mommy, he’s so warm!”

“And your hand’s like an ice cube,” Malcolm’s eyes lit up with mischief as he shot Dani a side-eye glance, “I wonder where she gets that from, huh?”

Dani playfully hip checked him with a fond roll of her eyes. She wasn’t much for physical contact, but it was like what little frost there was between them was starting to melt. 

Just then, Malcolm felt his phone buzz in his jacket pocket. He excused himself, still carrying Kit as he checked the caller ID and he knew he was in for it. 

“Hey Ains.” His cheerfully sharp tone barely kept his anxiety at bay as he babbled, “Listen, now’s not a great time—”

“ _You think?! I hope you’re happy!_ ” Ainsley exclaimed, “ _Because you’re not here, Mom has no one else to focus her big yenta energy on. I love her, but the woman doesn’t need to know about my dietary habits, it is completely normal for a woman my age to eat an entire tub of Ben & Jerry’s in one sitting. In fact, it’s highly recommended._”

“Ains—”

“ _I’m hiding in the bathroom like a fugitive right now! Which might not be the best idea in hindsight if Mom’s worried about my eating habits, but I don’t make the best choices under pressure. I don’t know how Mom let you skip out on dinner this week, but just know you owe me big._ ”

“Okay,” Malcolm took a deep breath as he tried to appease her, “What if I got you one of those giant truffle cupcakes from Magnolia Bakery you love so much?”

“There are cupcakes?” Malcolm could practically hear Kit’s ears perk up. “Where?”

“ _Was that a **kid**?_” 

Malcolm’s jaw dropped open, but he couldn’t spit anything out and it was enough to tell Ainsley everything _._

" _Malcolm. Alexander. **Bright!**_ ” He winced at how she nearly screeched that last word. “ _Of all the—don't tell me I’ve been an aunt this whole time. You were the one who gave me the talk in the first place, bro; Mom is going to kill you! And I am so not wearing black to your funeral._ "

“Wait, _what?!_ ” 

Malcolm’s eyes nearly bulged out, his cheeks hot with embarrassment and something he was not ready to psychoanalyze just yet. He shot a desperate look at Dani, who looked very much like the cat that caught the canary as Annie giggled and clapped her hands. 

“What made you jump to that conclusion? I’m not _that_ unreliable.”

“She sounds pretty!” Kit practically flung herself towards his phone, giving him another heart attack as he kept a tight hold on her. "She sounds like the lady Auntie Mona watches on TV."

“ _Aww, I think that’s the sweetest thing I’ve ever heard!_ ” 

Ainsley was practically gushing and Malcolm grimaced, already seeing another Whitly woman wanting to steal Kit. Was this something that happened with most children or was it just something that came with Kit being a Powell? Given that all the photos he’d seen of baby Dani were nothing short of absolutely _precious_ , it was most definitely the latter. 

“ _Now I know the love of a child. Lemme talk to her._ ”

“Nope,” he cut in before Kit could cheerfully yell into his phone. “No way, we are _not_ doing this right now, Ains.”

With his luck, his mother would overhear and demand some answers of her own. 

“ _So there’ll be a **next**_ _time_?” 

Malcolm let out a disgruntled huff. Of course she would pick up on that; he could practically see the Cheshire cat grin he knew was forming on his sister’s face. 

_“Make it a dozen cupcakes and I don't tell Mom—!”_

He hung up abruptly, shaking his head with a wry chuckle. Only two minutes in and he was already getting a migraine. 

Considering that he now had to buy a dozen cupcakes, he was questioning how much he actually valued having a good relationship with Ainsley. 

* * *

“Uncle Bright?” 

Malcolm was way too close to dropping Kit as he whipped his head to face her, trying to school his expression into something less deer-caught-in-the-headlights. 

_Uncle?_

He’d never been called that before, save for the times that Ainsley had called him that in jest _(“Hey, you’ve gotta be prepared in case I become a fabulous single wine mom”)_. But the way Kit had said it with a shy voice as she fiddled with the cuffs of her sleeves was enough to make him melt.

It was easy to see that Kit wanted to ask him something, the little girl practically vibrating with excitement. He smiled gently, ever patient as she absentmindedly patted his cheek.

“Can I show you my pet space unicorn?”

Malcolm’s jaw dropped dramatically as he hitched her higher on his hip. 

“You have a pet space unicorn?”

“Yeah!” Kit looked a bit like a chicken pecking away at its food with all her vigorous nodding. “Her name is Étoile because she has stars all over her!”

“So where’s Étoile?” He pretended to be confused, looking up to where Kit was pointing at the ceiling, “In space? I don’t know, Kit, I don’t think you can take a rocketship there and back in time for dinner.”

Kit just about collapsed into giggles, her nose crinkling the same way that Dani’s did whenever she laughed. And Malcolm could feel the nervous undercurrent that usually bubbled under the surface just waiting to erupt simply dissolve into something warm and content. 

“No silly! She’s upstairs.”

Dani didn’t even need to ask if her daughter wanted to go find her stuffed unicorn to show Bright, the corner of her mouth twisting with amusement as Kit dashed off the second Malcolm set her down. 

“Be careful on the stairs!” She called after the little girl, only to shake her head at the thundering sound of racing footsteps before turning to Malcolm. “I don’t know where she gets all that energy from.”

Before either of them could say anything to each other, Annie reached out towards Malcolm, cooing at him as she tried to wiggle out of her mother’s arms. 

“Annie, honey, I can’t—” 

Her youngest cut her off with a high whine when Malcolm didn’t get closer.

“It’s okay,” Malcolm practically swooped to her side, cooing at Annie as she kicked her feet in excitement, “I don’t mind.”

Dani’s chuckle had a sigh to it as she handed the baby to him. 

“Sorry about this. The girls have been curious about you ever since they heard my sisters talk about you.”

“I don’t mind, they’ve been nothing but wonderful so far.” 

Malcolm carefully bounced Annie in his arms, the smile he had for her daughter as warm and indulgent as Granmè’s _dous makos_. 

“Hey Annie,” he cooed, giving the baby’s tummy a gentle tickle, “You just wanted to say hello, didn’t you?” 

The baby giggled, her tiny hands patting his jawline. The bright blue of Malcolm’s tie soon caught her eye and she made a curious noise as she grabbed at the silk fabric.

“Be careful, Annie’s been teething,” Dani warned as she saw the baby’s intent focus on Malcolm’s expensive tie, “Lately she likes chewing on things she doesn’t recognize.”

Malcolm opened his mouth, something on the tip of his tongue, but was soon startled by a booming voice coming from behind him. 

“Squirt!”

Malcolm nearly jumped out of his skin, clutching Annie to his chest as Dani turned to greet the two women making their way towards them. 

“About time you made it here.” 

The woman on the left was short and curvy, her hair in crochet twists artfully swept to one side, much like how Dani’s father had worn them in the living room photo and the same turquoise eyes as Annie and Zipporah. The other was tall and willowy with Dani’s eyes and part of her hair up in a topknot, the rest in frizzy curls flowing past her shoulders. 

The pair reminded Malcolm of the profiles of Egyptian women he had seen in murals during trips to the museum in middle school, an old world charm to their elegant and striking looks. 

It was rather obvious who they were. 

Dani shook her head in exasperation, rolling her eyes at Malcolm’s smirk and knowing look, but a smile still broke through.

“Yes, genius, those are my sisters. Just be prepared to be bombarded with questions.”

Before Malcolm could respond, Annie, who had been pulling and playing with Malcolm’s tie, suddenly stuffed the silk fabric into her mouth, startling him. 

_Were babies even allowed to chew on fabric? What were you supposed to do when they choked? Should he have an ambulance on speed dial?_

He could practically hear JT’s smug laughter in the back of his mind, mocking him about his so-called expertise during his own panicking over Tally’s pregnancy. But it didn’t stop him from laughing at the chipmunk-like expression on Annie’s face, not realizing how ridiculously, dangerously fond he was of the little girl.

Dani tried to jump forward to get Annie to let go of Malcolm’s tie, but he waved her off. 

“It’s fine, I have more just like this one anyways. And I can already tell that she’ll give me sad puppy dog eyes if I don’t do what she wants. Smart too, she already knows I don’t do well with tears.”

Annie beamed at Malcolm as she happily nommed on the expensive fabric. Dani crossed her arms as she took in the two, the secret little grin on her face unknowingly mirroring the ones on her sisters’ as they exchanged knowing looks. 

Just as Malcolm was about to say something, the taller of Dani’s sisters immediately set her eyes on him as the other one playfully ruffled Dani’s curls much to her annoyance. 

His spine unconsciously straightened at the considering look, a little alarmed at how much she resembled Dani in that moment. It wasn’t just the shape of the eyes. The subtle tilt of her head, the sly curve of her mouth, the gaze that was soft and piercing at the same time. 

Those tiny details were more than enough proof that the detective’s patented _quit your bullshit Bright_ look was genetic. Oh god, were Kit and Annie going to have it too?

“So _this_ must be the elusive Malcolm Bright we’ve heard so much about.”

Malcolm forgot his fear for a second as he smirked at Dani. He had been hearing a lot of that tonight and having that knowledge now left him smug with satisfaction. She simply rolled her eyes in exasperation, everything about her very action telling him to keep his mouth shut before his ego got popped again.

“Bright, these are my sisters. This is Mona,” she gestured to the woman with blue eyes before elbowing the taller woman beside her, “And Naomie. They have a tendency to gang up on people.”

“Mostly you, squirt,” Naomie interjected with a cheerful grin. 

Dani shot a half-hearted glare back. “Don’t make me sic the kids on you, Mimie.” 

“Play nice, baby sis,” Mona snickered before noting Malcolm’s very flushed face, “You look as pink as a peach. Had one of _imma_ ’s jalapeno poppers, right?” 

“Yeah,” Malcolm didn’t think it was possible for his face to burn even more, but one look at Dani’s amused face proved him wrong. “It was delicious though. Worth the spice.” 

Annie giggled through the tie as she patted the profiler’s warm cheek. Malcolm’s smile turned silly and soft as he playfully nudged the little girl’s cheek, his forehead almost touching hers. 

“Should I be worried? I’m scared she might choke on it.”

Naomie waved her hand, backed up by all the mishaps she had while babysitting her nieces. 

“If it’s safe for her to chew on plastic baby toys, it’s safe for her to chew on fabric. Kit was teething on Dani’s old baby blanket at that age too.”

“So Malcolm,” Mona started, her brows arching the same way Dani’s often did when she wanted a straight answer out of him, “Dani’s told us quite a bit about you.” 

“Not _that_ much.” 

Dani tossed her head with a scoff, giving her sister a look that screamed _please stop_. It might have been a trick of the light, but she didn’t seem to be willing to make eye contact with him at the moment. 

Malcolm’s smirk grew. 

_Interesting._

“But you _have_ been talking about me.”

“Well, someone had to warn them. Weird rich guy who eats nothing but hard candy, it’s like something out of the murder mysteries Mona reads.”

“Oh?” A slight shiver ran up Dani’s spine at how Bright’s voice deepened at that, teasingly slow and deliberate. “I need to be warned about, detective?”

So that was how he was going to play it.

“Oh yes.” Dani lifted her chin in pointed defiance, as if challenging him to say otherwise. “You’ve got a terrible track record of doing stupid things and yet somehow things work out for you.”

Malcolm let out a carefree laugh, not taking his eyes off her for a second as his dimples deepened. 

“And how is it a bad habit if things work out in the end?”

_Huh._

So even Bright could be charming when he wanted to.

Naomie cackled, her whole being alight with mischief as she broke through their little staring contest. 

“Well, now I know why Dani invited you,” she mused, shooting both her sisters a teasing glance at their confusion, “She wanted fresh pre-dinner gossip after Mona going on about the twins’ birth for the—how many times does this make it now, Momo?”

“We weren’t even prepared for one of each! We thought we were having girls, everything was pink!” 

Mona huffed, waving off Naomie’s good natured ribbing with a roll of her eyes and a patience that could only be found with a first-born sibling. Malcolm and the oldest Powell sister exchanged a knowing glance, sharing a lifetime of hijinks and wrangling little sisters in two seconds. 

“I know that gender is a social construct and all, but it would have been nice to know that we were having a boy too. Poor Marco, he still gets embarrassed whenever Ji-yeong breaks out the baby photos and can’t tell our kids apart.”

“Well, that explains Maggie wearing bunny ear headbands until their first birthday. Not that it stopped her and Marco from switching all the time; I knew you shouldn’t have let them watch _Rugrats—_ ”

“Guys!” Dani hissed through her teeth, this close to pinching the bridge of her nose to ward off a headache, “Now’s not the time.”

“There will be time for that later,” Mona said magnanimously before turning to Malcolm, a smile starting to tug at her lips, “But first, I gotta ask. How’s the _business_?”

“ _Mona. Josephine_.” 

Dani’s voice lowered dangerously with each syllable. She _knew_ she shouldn’t have told them about her adventures in babysitting high Bright. 

“I’m sorry?” 

Malcolm’s nose crinkled in confusion and Mona couldn’t help but grin at what she was seeing. 

He unconsciously mimicked her youngest niece’s actions, cocking his head to the side like a lost puppy. Even their eyes were the same. Blue in some lights, green in others. Vivid and wide as the moon and framed with long lashes. 

_If she didn’t know any better—_

“Did you mean the... profiler business?”

Mona simply hummed in consideration before nodding.

“Sure, let’s go with that.” Naomie joined in, not even bothering to hide her glee. “How’s your _business_? As a profiler?” 

“Um...” 

Malcolm couldn’t help but let out a little chuckle, even as there were warning bells ringing in the back of his head. Or maybe that was just Annie abandoning his tie in favour of tugging at his hair. 

“The business is good, I guess.”

Mona and Naomie glanced at each other, their faces not giving anything away before collapsing into giggles. It left Dani having no choice but to shrug as Malcolm shot her an inquisitive look. She wasn’t telling him everything, he noted as she hastily whispered something in Mona’s ear. 

But the all-too-knowing look on the oldest Powell’s face, one that she had clearly inherited from Eliana, had him reconsidering how much he really wanted to be let in on the sisters’ little inside joke.

* * *

“So Naomie,” Dani cleared her throat, desperate to change the subject, “Where’s Wulan?”

“Working late. Her boss is being a hardass again.” 

Naomie pouted as she helped herself to some of Granmè’s chokola ayisyen, sneaking in a few too many coconut marshmallows that normally would’ve had Mona swat her hand away. 

“But don’t worry; she wouldn’t miss a chance to see her favourite munchkins for the world.”

Mona nodded, her eyes understanding as she munched on a spinach boureka. 

“And Ji-yeong said he’s running late because he forgot to change and only realized when he was halfway here.” 

She shook her head in exasperation, but there was a fondness in her laugh. 

“Sometimes I think that man likes showing up fashionably late just because he enjoys the spotlight. He was hardly ever late for class when he was at Harvard, but speaking of which,” Mona said as she turned to him, “Dani says that you went there too, Malcolm.”

“Who?” 

Malcolm looked down as Kit popped up in the middle of their little group and did a double take at what she was carrying. When she had described Étoile, he pictured a little plush toy that she could carry around like those toy dogs that several socialites on the Upper East Side liked to carry around in their designer handbags. 

He was _not_ expecting a giant blue and white stuffed unicorn with glittery pink stars almost as big as the little girl herself. He nearly missed her declaring that _but Mommy said your name was Bright_ , her eyes wide with confusion. 

Malcolm went down on his knee so that Kit could see him better, carefully cradling Annie closer to his chest. He chuckled at the innocent little tilt of the little girl’s head as her attention locked onto him. 

“So you know how Powell’s your last name?” 

He couldn’t help but smile as she nodded eagerly, looking bright eyed and bushy tailed with her ponytail bobbing in time with her. He didn’t know if she went to school yet, but it was easy to see the tiny girl in the front row of a kindergarten classroom, almost bouncing in her seat as she waved her hand, eager for the teacher to call on her. 

“Well, Bright’s mine. Your mom just likes calling me that because Gil introduced me with that name instead of Malcolm."

He tried not to laugh as he spotted Dani rolling her eyes. 

“So it’s Mommy and _Lolo_ ’s name for you? Like how everyone calls me Kit.” The toddler’s face practically lit up as she figured it out before chewing on her lip in thought. “But then what do I call you?”

Her eyes blinked at him and once again he was struck by how much they were just like Dani’s. Too soft and shadowy to be black, big and almost kitten-like with the way they swept up slightly at the corners and what was it about the Powell girls that made him feel light as the snow falling outside during the calm winter evening? 

“Whatever you want, Kit.”

His smile was soft and ever patient and he wondered if she knew that she was already as amazing as her mother. He ignored the little voice in his head, the one that sounded an awful lot like Gil that whispered of something else she can call him.

Something that matched with Kit’s mother.

Dani glanced over at the odd little group huddled together on the floor, a sharp dressed man deftly bouncing a baby on his knee as he smiled at a little girl. But it wasn’t like the sharp, almost manic grin that overtook his face whenever he was chasing after an elusive detail that was missing from his profile. Nor was it the deep, mournful one that faded in and out during the rare times he would be honest about his haunted childhood. 

“Then…” His dimples showed again as he watched Kit shuffling adorably in her little white patent leather shoes, almost shy as she hugged Étoile closer to her. “Can I still call you Uncle Bright?”

This smile was slow to form, but seeing it in its rawest, truest form made it worth the wait. 

There was only one answer that she knew Bright would give her daughter.

“Of course. I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

* * *

"You know,” Kit’s giggling rang in his ears as Mona helped her onto the couch, her tiny self barely practically buried under the stuffed toy balanced precariously in her lap. “I was expecting a smaller unicorn." 

He looked down at Annie, her tiny face scrunched in confusion as her owl-like eyes searched for her sister around the room. 

“It looks like your sister pulled off a disappearing act,” he staged-whispered to the baby in his arms, playfully tapping the tip of her nose. His laugh echoed Annie’s, the little girl briefly going crossed eyed before trying to grab at his fingers. “Where do you think she is, Annie? Where’s Kit?”

Dani couldn’t help but grin at Malcolm’s little game. 

“Oh, I’m sure she’s fine, Bright. Just ask the little ponytail peeking out.”

Kit’s beaming face finally revealed itself as she held out Étoile to Malcolm the same way she did with the jalapeno popper, her cheeks puffed out and her eyes in familiar little crescent moons. 

“It’s bigger than Annie.” Malcolm goggled at the sight before him in shock, barely registering how he was already joining Kit on the couch the second Annie reached out for the toy. “How’s that even possible?”

“Gran Gran gave it to me!”

He briefly wondered where Eliana had even gotten her hands on that behemoth that wouldn’t look out of place in a carnival game stall in the first place. 

“Did Annie try to eat your tie?” Kit pointed to the damp spot on Malcolm’s tie with a quizzical expression on her face. “Mommy says her baby teeth are growing so she does that a lot.” 

“You can tell, huh?” Malcolm grinned in amusement, gently shaking Annie’s chubby fist as she babbled happily. “Your sister seems to have expensive taste. I think I spotted her eyeing my cufflinks earlier.” 

Kit nodded sagely as she let Annie pet Étoile’s fur. Malcolm could almost imagine the baby using the stuffed animal as a bean bag chair with how tiny she was in comparison. 

“She tried chewing on Étoile one time, but she doesn't like how fuzzy she is so now she knows not to do it again.”

Annie cut in with a well timed raspberry, almost as if she knew what her sister was talking about given how her little tongue stuck out. 

“See?” Kit let out a cute snorting laugh as she tickled the baby’s side. “Yeah, Étoile’s not food, she doesn’t taste like cotton candy.” 

Annie giggled, squirming away from Kit as she tried grabbing at the shiny cufflink on Malcolm’s sleeve. 

The profiler chuckled at the wide eyed wonder on her little face, letting her play with his gold moon cufflinks, her chubby fingers trying to grab at the flecks of blue diamond that made up the craters. 

“Are you a baby or a magpie? You just love anything bright and shiny.” 

“But isn’t that what you are, Uncle Bright?” Kit looked back up at him innocently, “Your name is Bright.” 

Malcolm could already feel his face burn red, barely resisting the urge to hide his face in Annie’s curls. So the ability to make him blush _did_ run in the family after all. 

He could almost hear Ainsley’s laughter in the back of his head.

_Was it too late to run away yet?_


End file.
